30 days // no social media

I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. Now, after talking about it with my sister-in-law who recently disconnected, she's given me the motivation to deactivate. So I'm joining her. She told me she's loving it. Mostly because she's finding herself appreciating small details she would have missed with her face glued to a phone, and she's experiencing more simple pleasures. Her husband (my little brother) never got on any of these platforms to begin with.

For me, social media includes the three I use-- Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (Pinterest doesn't count here because I don't socialize on it. I think of it as a digital magazine). I've deactivated Facebook and removed Instagram and Twitter apps from my phone. I will not be visiting them on the computer either. This is nothing life-changing, and who knows, maybe I'll hate it and be back in 30 days. Or, maybe I won't miss it at all and continue to stay disconnected.

If someone actually calculated the time I spend on these sites in a day I'd be sick to my stomach. It's easy for me to get my "fix" every 15 minutes because I'm at a computer designing for 8+ hours a day. I'll mock up a mobile app page, check Facebook, work on button styles, see what's new on Instagram. It's an addictive cycle that's been challenging my attention span and brings multi-tasking to a whole new level. There's a lot of comparing and wanting going on during the bottomless scrolling. Why does she get to travel to Tulum while I'm here working? I just NEED that $1,200 lounge chair! 

There is too much in my life to be thankful for, and I should stop to think about those things when I have an extra couple minutes. Or catch a sunset, go on a walk/hike, read an article about maintaining house plants, learn HTML and CSS, call an old friend to say hello, cook my husband dinner, stretch more, moisturize, plan a weekend trip somewhere new, make something, watch a documentary, paint...the options are ENDLESS!

My plan is to blog more during this time too. I miss writing. Today is day 1. I'm excited to see how this goes and what I'll discover in the next 30 days. Would you disconnect for a month? Have you done a social media shutdown yourself? I'd love to hear.

top photo by Eva Kolenko. bottom photos via Pinterest, mostly my adventure/carpe diem board

life outdoors

Life is sweet...and kinda hectic. But I wouldn't have it any other way. With August coming tomorrow, I've been thinking about where exactly July went. It started in late June with our camping trip and every weekend since has been booked. I've visited new sites (Boston, Colonial Beach and Jamestown) and re-visited places (Harrisonburg and Yorktown), all while having good friends and family in tow.

This weekend I'm crossing my fingers to stay home and work on some house projects that have been on my mind since February, but sneak away for a little bit to get a few skydives. Hope you're enjoying every bit of this sweet, sweet summertime.

you can follow me on instagram @christinaprock

colonial beach + a new addiction

A few months ago,  I signed up for my first (sprint) Triathlon. Jay signed up too, and it was his second. We've been training for each event and excited to see how we stacked up against others. We drove up to Colonial Beach on Friday evening and stayed with some great friends who were also planning on doing the race. Colonial Beach is on the Northern Neck, a small town and golf cart community with a whole lot of character.

It was a bright and early morning Saturday as we made our way to the event HQ to get ready for our early start times. It was such a learning experience for me about the transition areas, tri gear and the pre-race nerves. I read a ton of articles, but knew that going through the steps would be the biggest lesson.

I'll spare all the details, but it felt so great to run across that finish line. Having played sports through college, these days my work life is pretty sedentary Mon-Fri from 8-6pm. It's a necessary evil, which I'm sure some can relate to. With triathlons, I think I've found my newest addiction. Here's to many more swim/bike/runs! Plus, we can visit new towns and find some pretty cool things to do on our road trip. I didn't get many shots (all from the phone's camera because I can't seem to ever remember the actual camera) of Colonial Beach, but we had a few great stops along the way.

A lucky find: The Dog and Oyster Vineyard. Can't go wrong here – friendly dogs, delicious local oysters and tasty wine. It was the perfect pit stop for our Sunday drive home, and the owner/manager, Mark, really treated us well. We could have stayed here alllll day.

And of course a random antique store on the side of the country road. This one was an old two-story home with seven other buildings on the property, filled to the brim with antiques and architectural salvage. I left with an ice cream scoop.

just a bit north

As much as I dream of traveling over seas, I still get excited to see new places not so far away. A few years ago Jay told me about this island (some is Maryland, some is Virginia) where wild horses roam the beaches and marshland. Oh, and it's only 2 hours away? Let's go.

We called this our anniversary camping trip. Just the two of us, some skydiving at a new-to-us dropzone, crab picking and camping/beaching/hiking Assateague & Chincoteague Parks to find those wild horses. Of course I forgot my camera, but we snapped a few from our phones. I love spending my time going on adventures with this man.

Just outside Assateague State Park we spotted the first of the wild horses. I was worried it would be difficult to find them, but they've gotten use to the visitors and just keep eating. We spotted quite a few throughout the trip. Most of them have this beautiful carmel and white coloring with a shaggy mane. I wanted to take them home with me.

Our morning view from the tent before skydiving. Corn field everywhere. And, I've been looking for a wood slab with a live edge for a headboard in the guest bedroom. Well, this totally random nautical gift shop on our way home had plenty to choose from. Sometimes things just work out for me.

pungo

Virginia Beach is such a neat place. It's so widespread. You can visit the beach (or the Bay), be amongst the forests in the state park and enjoy farm land in good ol' Pungo. My mother-in-law took me to her barn over the weekend, and I was so excited to meet the beautiful residents.

As we arrived, they were calling the horses back into the barn. This is Biggie. And rightfully so, he was huge. His stall is fortunately placed right by the lockers so he got the first apple treat. He was so gentle. I could have stared at him all day. I loved the colors on Pippa, the white horse with the brown spots in the photo below. She yawned twice as I was petting her long face, and I was able to catch her tongue out. So friendly and sweet. The barn was full of other animals too— dogs, birds and cats — each one thinking they owned the place.

A piece of my heart will always be in Florida with my family, but this sure is a special place to call home.

::seasonal::

Last weekend, my friend put together a little adventure to a local spot to pick pumpkins. Turns out it was a full on festival complete with petting zoo. You could buy a handful of feed for a quarter, and those alpacas were all about it. Couldn't get enough.

::snapshots of maui::

It's going on two and a half weeks ago, but my mind is obviously still on island time...

Nearing the end of The Road to Hana we came across a shack-like convenience store with rows of shelves on each wall FILLED with antiques. Sadly, none for sale.

Too many beautiful beaches to count.

A picturesque seaside church.

A rewarding sunset from above the clouds after our 12-mile hike through Haleakalā National Park.

Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Hutton!

::maui // the video::

We jumped off waterfalls, swam with sea turtles, explored black sand beaches and hiked a volcano. Take me back! It's still sorta unbelievable that we made the trip and frolicked around such a beautiful place, and really, we saw most of the island! What makes Jay and I a great pair is that he's the planner and I'm the spontaneous one. He created an itinerary for 5 of our days, we had the wedding and those festivities, and the rest he let me meander and stumble into different events and locations.

I give all the video credit to Jay. He's found a new hobby in video editing and he uses his GoPros to document lots of our outdoor activities: camping, hiking, snorkeling, skydiving, snowboarding...the list goes on. I think he did a wonderful job. When people ask why he films this stuff he says, "I want my kids to see how much fun Mom and Dad had." 

::a grand adventure // hawaii::

A friend from college is doing the whole destination wedding thing in Maui next week. Our friend from Kentucky. When we got the invite I said, "when's the next chance we'll get to go to Hawaii?" Luckily, that was all it took to convince Jay to book the tickets. We leave today for a nice long trip. 

I'll be turning twenty-seven while we're there. Not too shabby. Most days I plan on having no plans and answering the tough questions: pina colada or strawberry daiquiri? 

I'll see you guys in a little while, hopefully with a tan. 

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::bicycle adventure::

The simple pleasures of a bicycle adventure with my guy. We ventured to Olde Towne, jumped on the ferry and pedaled to The Naro for an afternoon showing of Moonrise Kingdom. A perfect little Sunday if you ask me.

::plan your...::

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::richmond (and outskirts) adventure::

Last weekend, we visited another couple in Richmond to see their new place and go camping. They live on the second floor of a building from the 1800's. Their little neighborhood, just outside of the city, has tons of character. We walked over to a park across the street that overlooked the Lucky Strike cigarette factory. 

It's such a pretty drive from Richmond to Staunton. There's old rustic farmhouses, quaint towns on winding roads and scenic mountain views. We hiked to a watering hole and jumped off fallen trees into cool, crisp water. Our campsite was right next to the river, so when dusk came we roasted marshmallows over the fire pit.

Our last stop was a beautiful winery called Veritas. I'd get married here...

::an ode to summer // by kinfolk::

This is too good. The simple pleasures of healthful food, bike adventures and shared moments with friends. Andrew and Carissa's videos are always stunning. I just ordered my copy of Vol. 4. Get your Kinfolk Magazine here.

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::looking for something to do?::

Now that it's getting warmer, it's time to go bike riding. Last weekend Jay and I rode bikes through Seashore State Park, stopped at an epic yard sale, traveled down to the Oceanfront for lunch and then back home...about 20 miles. You never know what you'll come across on the streets and in the woods! We have a city park close by too that's on the Elizabeth River. It'll be the perfect place for many picnic dinners to watch the sunset. 

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::eye-catching type::

Just a few fonts that made me smile.

I'm traveling to DC this weekend and staying with an old friend from high school. Jay and I are bringing our bikes on the train and hope to ride to as many museums, parks and eateries as we can fit into our time there. I love visiting new places! I'll be keeping an eye out for creative-types. Anyone know of any cool vintage stores in the area?


HAPPY WEEKEND!


1. Rosetta  /  2. Vindeco  /  3. Sans Sarif Didot

::get out::

Even though the temperature is dropping, it was still nice to get outside after being cooped up all week.

(Yes, that's Jay and me up there. That place is an old landfill transformed into an amazing city park. The playground was awesome.)

::happy picking::

Last month I met a woman at the Portsmouth Antiques to Flea Market. I bought some vintage wallpaper from her, 2 bags full of vintage lace, trim, thread and buttons and a perfectly rustic old baker's rack, which I plan to use as a display piece for future markets/shows. I'm meeting up with her again in North Carolina this weekend to see if she has anymore aged items I'd like to make mine. It's funny in this "business" how much I relate to people twice (or three times) my age. Older folks are so excited to see young people attracted to antiques. I grew up going to antique stores and fairs with my mom and I couldn't see my lifestyle any other way. 

I'm bringing J along with my on this treasure hunting adventure to give him a little taste of what I do-- even if it means taking him (and me) away from skydiving for a weekend. And yes, I may have bribed him with food. 

Happy weekend picking my fellow vintage lovers. 

::tipping the scale // DIY::

A while back I picked up this vintage wooden scale. I figured it'd go in the shop, but I realllly liked it. I imagined it holding jewelry on a vanity or fruit + veggies in a kitchen-- tipping the scale each time something was added or removed. Anyway, I kept it, painted it a mustard yellow (not sure why everything's getting coated in yellow?) and roughed it up with sandpaper. Right now it holds handfuls of acorns I found on a recent hiking adventure (see below). These acorns are impressively large, or maybe they just run smaller in Florida.

Preface: J's new hobby is shooting and editing little videos of our adventures. We visited his brother about 3 hours away. That's Katie in the still frame below. I did some vintage hunting while the others jumped off some high platform with a blow up shark, we watched a college soccer game, hung out with his brother's pet pig and hiked in Shenandoah National Park (were I collected acorns). At the end, that's me surprised-- I spotted a deer about 6 feet from me eating. He looked up at me and kept eating, then scattered once he knew he was being filmed...camera shy.

 

::2 pedals::

The only thing as cool as 6 petals is 2 pedals.

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::itching::

It's been an interesting couple weeks. Beginning to settle in here in Virginia and found a great gym to let out some daily tensions + stresses. I'd love to go on a picking adventure to the Junk Bonanza, but it's a 22 hour drive to Minnesota. Probably worth it though-- anyone wanna drive?

Here's to finding new adventures.

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